Use this presentation to get your next Product Management job.

Designers have beautiful portfolio sites, Developers have github repos and code samples and Product Managers have… umm… two pages of bullet points with generic descriptions of job responsibilities.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

During the last few times when I was interviewing I didn’t want to be just another resume in the pile which is why I created a presentation for myself.

It’s one of the best time investments I’ve made during my job search and multiple employers, especially VP and C-level interviewers told me that they found the deck very helpful prior to our conversations.

Think about the workflow of a hiring manager, your future boss, while they are very interested in getting someone new on board, the fact that they are looking to grow the team means they are probably busy trying to plug those holes themselves at the moment.

So when you submit a resume and it comes across as a crappily displayed import in Jobvite or a plain email they need to search for companies where you worked, try to pick out names, type in URLs, go to sites or download an app you helped build.

Don’t make them do all that work.

Put together a presentation which visually showcases what you’re about, where you’ve been and where you want to go.

Let’s get to it.

…

Accessibility.

This one is simple. Make the presentation easily accessible by hosting it on Google drive and put a link on top of your resume. If you’re hardcore, wrap it in a URL shortener and watch if folks actually open it and if they don’t remind them about it in follow ups.

Appearances matter.

You want the deck to look nice and polished just like you would with the products you build. Not unlike building a product you could work with a designer to help you out. Easier yet, the scrappy PM that you are, go buy a pretty template from over 1,500 presentations on Envato.

Imagine you’re presenting this deck in front of a large audience. It shouldn’t be a bunch of bullet points on a white background. Treat it like picking an outfit for your first date. You gotta look good.

Content.

Follow these steps to put together the most comprehensive overview of your accomplishments. Example slides are made up but you’ll get the idea.

1. Recent Projects (2–3 examples, 2 slides)

Immediately showcase what you have been working on most recently. Screenshots with a little explanation and most importantly outcomes.

Try to follow this pattern:

• Looks like this
• Does this
• Moved metrics by this much

Examples can be anything from a sign up flow update to full app re-architecture or recommendation algorithm improvement. The point is to show process and outcomes.

2. Cross-departmental work (1 slide)

As a PM you need to show that you play well with others. Try to think of projects that demonstrate your collaboration skills.

You can simply mention other departments you worked with, especially if they are not your traditional Design & Engineering partners.

Worked with Security? Payments? Sales? Marketing? Customer Support? Executive team? Data team? Even if the other team is just one person… it’s another team. Don’t be afraid to make it more interesting than it seems. Usually, it really is.

Not a ton of detail needed here, it’s better to develop on this slide in person.

3. Talking to users and Data (1 slide)

It’s great to show that you practice user centered design and know how to work with data. On this slide you can show a screenshot of a fancy report you pulled, and A/B test funnel or even just the logos of tools you work with (Google Analytics, Optimizely, UserTesting, etc).

What you might consider a no-brainer daily PM workflow some companies still find novel and are specifically looking for solid practitioners to put these good practices in place. Make them feel comfortable that you’re the person to do it.

4. Organizational (1 slide)

Show what kind of an org you had. How many PMs, developers, designers. This is something that will come up during every interview, get ahead of it. If your org is busted, you can skip this or show a layout which you would love to work in. You can later use this as conversation topic for hiring manager and their plans on how they want to structure the team.

5. Your destination (1 slide)

Lastly, after you’ve introduced yourself by showing what you have been doing and how you’ve been accomplishing your goals, talk about where you want to go.

There’s a reason why you’re looking for a new job, and it’s likely because you weren’t getting what you want at your current one. So talk about your desire to work with different size/layout, another industry, shift to different style, etc.

You can get specific:

“Things I’m looking for: Heavy Mobile focus or ownership of a new product line, P&L responsibilities, Tactical A/B testing and data or Heavy involvement with user interviews.”

Be honest here, don’t try to please the potential employer, actually think about what boxes you want checked in order to be happy.

…

This should be a day worth of work and as you put this presentation together you will:

1. Recall your recent accomplishments so you can talk about them during screens and interviews
2. Identify your strengths and learn to position them properly
3. Get honest with yourself about what you’re looking for and what you’re interested in

If you’re stuck and want some inspiration, email me at sergedoubinski@gmail.com and I can probably help you get started by looking at your LinkedIn profile and throwing some questions your way.

Of course it goes without saying that you contacting me is completely confidential.

Good luck!